Lessons Learned
by xheybails
Summary: Sometimes, learning to love is the hardest lesson of all. Sequel to Teach Me.
1. Their Schedule

**Title: **Lessons Learned

**By:** Bailee

**Pairing:** Jane/Maura

**Summary:** Sometimes, learning to love is the hardest lesson of all. Sequel to Teach Me.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own, I rent.

**A/N: **Did you guys miss me?! Or maybe you just missed the girls; I guess that's probably more likely. Anyway about it, I missed you guys, so don't be strangers, let me know what you think!

**Chapter One**  
"Their Schedule"

A year had passed since Maura had graduated from medical school and had moved back to Boston to begin her life with Jane. A month ago, Jane had graduated from the police academy and had started at the Boston Police Department a week later.

The two had been working on opposite schedules ever since, Jane pulling midnight shifts and Maura spending days at a time at the hospital.

At seven that morning, Jane dragged her feet up the stairs to the apartment she shared with Maura and threw the door open before stumbling inside. She barely looked as she tossed her keys onto the counter and shed her uniform on the way to the bedroom.

She was surprised to see her blonde doctor lying peacefully asleep on her side of the bed. Smiling, Jane climbed into bed and settled into Maura's side, moving her head to place soft kisses along her jawline.

"Maur...Maur, wake up."

Jane received a small groan in response, though it sounded more like a wake-me-up-and-I'll-kill-you grunt than a pleasurable moan from the attention Jane was giving her with her lips.

"Why aren't you at work?"

"Mackenzie wanted to switch days...now shh...sleeping."

Jane gave a small laugh, ever since Maura had began working extremely long hours at the hospital during her residency, she had learned to take advantage of any time she got to sleep, since sometimes she may go a day or two without.

Luckily, Jane was exhausted as well or she might consider using her "magical powers" as Maura tended to put it and wake the doctor for a quick love-making session before they went back to sleep.

That could wait, however. They did have the rest of their lives.

**- R & I -**

Several hours later when the sun was high in the sky and the sticky Boston heat forced most of its inhabitants indoors until night fell, Jane felt herself waking from a particularly pleasant dream about the blonde next to her.

She felt soft lips on her neck just above her pulse point and without even opening her eyes, she attached her hands to Maura's hips and pulled the blonde on top of her. Maura moved to straddle Jane's hips and kissed her way down Jane's jaw line to her lips.

Jane moaned at the contact, just as she always did. She was eternally grateful for the fact that no matter how many times she kissed her girlfriend, she could never seem to get enough of her. It was as if she had a constant craving, one that could never be fully satisfied, one that would leave her wanting the doctor for the rest of her life.

It couldn't have been more than five minutes later and Jane was groaning for an entirely different reason.

A quick glance at the clock next to the bedside table told her it was nearing four in the afternoon and she rolled her eyes, instantly knowing just who was interrupting their alone time with that incessant knocking on their front door.

Maura too knew what it meant and she sighed as she rolled off Jane. "You better go get that. You don't want her using the key again."

Jane gave her a pout and the blonde responded by giving her a quick peck on the lips before standing to find a clean pair of clothes.

The brunette quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants and the closest t-shirt before shuffling back down the hall toward the door, picking up her discarded uniform along the way and slinging it over the living room chair.

"What is it, Ma?" she asked as she flung open the door.

"How did you know it was me?"

"You always stop by on your way home from your afternoon errands when you know I'm not working."

"Well, I know Maura is working tonight, I just thought you might like some company."

"Actually, she got the night off, so no company needed, see you later, Ma!" Jane said in a rush, all but pushing her mother back through the door she had just entered.

"No need to be rude Jane, of course your mother can stay if she wants," Maura said as she walked into the room toward the two women. She gave the elder a hug as she said softly, "I'm glad you stopped by, Angela, it feels like I haven't seen you in weeks."

"Not for lack of effort, sweetie, but it's not your fault you work such long hours."

"Hopefully they will be easing up a bit soon, the new round of residents just started this week, so I won't have to be doing the grunt work any longer."

"Does that mean you two will be able to take off work long enough to join the rest of us at the cabin for the fourth of July?" Angela asked as she made her way into the kitchen to start making dinner for the girls.

Jane had refused the first few times her mother had come over ready to cook for them, she insisted she and Maura were more than capable of feeding themselves, but she had come to learn it was a pointless argument. Besides, it made Angela happy to help, so who was she to deny her mother that?

Jane looked up to find a puzzled look on her girlfriend's face and it hit her.

_Oops._

The look was immediately followed by a glare from her mother.

"Um…I may have forgotten to mention it to her," Jane said, giving her most apologetic look.

"We would love to go, Angela. Thank you for inviting us," Maura answered for them, giving Jane a glare as well. She wasn't all that angry with her, Jane's habit of forgetting to relay information between her mother and girlfriend was ultimately what made Maura and Angela become so close.

"I knew I should have told you instead. I was all ready to call you, then Jane walked through the door and I thought, well; let's give her a shot. Maybe one day she will learn to stop being so forgetful. I wouldn't count on it though."

Maura chuckled softly and gave Jane a peck on the cheek before whispering in her ear, "I wouldn't change a thing about you, sweetheart."

With that, she continued to help Angela with dinner as the three of them discussed the trip. A few hours later, Angela made her way home and Jane looked at Maura with a gleam in her eye.

"You tired?" Maura asked her.

"Not at all."

"Catch me if you can," Maura said with a wink and she raced off toward the bedroom.

Jane followed her in a heartbeat. She never could back down from a challenge.

**- R & I -**

**A/N: **I know this one is a bit short, but honestly, I'm not 100% on where I want to take this one yet. Any ideas? As always, reviews make me happy! :)


	2. Their Holiday

**Disclaimer: **I don't own, I rent.

**A/N:** I just wanted to say, so, so sorry for the wait on this, you guys! I got so busy with the end of school and then the holidays and time just kind of got away from me. But I did sit down to night and plot out where I want this story to go, so at least I have a much better idea of what I want to do now. Hope you like this one!

**Chapter Two**  
"Their Holiday"

Two weeks later, Jane and Maura had packed their bags and were in the car on their way to the cabin Jane's parents had rented for the long weekend. Both girls were able to get a full four days off work and they didn't want to waste a single second.

The hour-long drive was mostly silent, other than a few spats over what to listen to on the radio. When they finally settled on a station, Maura leaned her seat back and closed her eyes, Jane's hand firmly grasped her own.

Maura figured she must have dozed off because before she knew it, they were pulling up a long, narrow gravel road, tall trees lining either side and meeting in the middle up above, shading the street below.

She was pleasantly surprised when they pulled up to the large cabin; it was not at all what she had been expecting. She had been a little worried when Jane said it was a log cabin in the woods, but this looked nice and cozy and she made a mental note to remind Jane that they should come back in the winter when the surrounding grounds would be covered in snow. They could make a fire and drink hot chocolate and spend the day in each other's arms.

Maura smiled at that thought as she exited the car. Jane refused to let her help carry their bags, so she simply followed the taller girl into the cabin where the rest of her family was already waiting. The cabin was nothing new for Jane, she and her family had come here for a week or two most every summer before she was in high school. At that point, they had all gotten so busy that they hadn't been back since the summer Jane turned 14.

Maura, however, was mesmerized. A tall wall opposite the door featured a large fireplace with two couches and a couple chairs in front of it. Off to the left was the kitchen with a large, wooden dining room table. A staircase on the right side of the cabin opened into a loft and Maura assumed that's where the bedrooms were held.

"This place is beautiful!" Maura said, truly amazed that it was so charming.

"Which room is ours?" Jane asked her mother, immediately cutting to the chase.

"You guys can stay in the downstairs bedroom, the boys have already claimed the upstairs room."

"Perfect!" she practically yelled, grabbing Maura's hand and dragging her a bit more forcefully than necessary to the bedroom that sat down the hall from the kitchen.

"Geez, Jane, what's the rush?" Maura asked her when the brunette had kicked the door closed behind them and tossed their bags onto the floor.

Instead of answering, Jane simply wrapped her arms around Maura's waist and pulled her in closer, bringing their lips together. When she felt Maura relax into her touch, she ran her tongue lightly across her girlfriend's bottom lip, requesting entrance.

Maura responded immediately, letting a small moan of pleasure leave her lips. She felt Jane smile against her at the sound. Jane pulled back slightly after a few moments and gave her a few small, soft kisses before letting her forehead rest against Maura's.

"I've been wanting to do that since we left."

Maura gave her a smile, and then lay on the bed, motioning for Jane to join her. Seconds later, Maura was resting her head on Jane's chest with Jane's arms wrapped tightly around her. She felt Jane press a kiss to the top her head and she closed her eyes, breathing a sigh of content.

"Have I told you recently that I love you?" Maura asked in a soft, sweet voice, a smile appearing on her lips.

"Nope, I don't believe you have."

"Oh, really?" Maura lifted an eyebrow and looked up at Jane. She moved to straddle Jane's hips and caught her lips in a kiss before continuing. "Because I do love you."

She left a small trail of kisses along Jane's jawline, from her chin to her ear, then flicked her earlobe with the tip of her tongue, causing Jane to shiver a bit and bite back a moan. Jane moved her hands to rest on Maura's hips, trying to pull her in closer.

Maura wasn't having any of it, however, and she resisted Jane's touch, pulling her hips farther away from Jane and inching them down toward her thighs. She then moved her lips to Jane's neck, quickly finding the spot behind her ear that never failed to make Jane weak in the knees.

Maura continued to kiss down Jane's neck and paused at her collarbone before she stopped and looked up to meet Jane's eyes. "You know what, officer?"

"What's that, doctor?"

"You are wearing far too many clothes."

"Is that right?"

"Mmhmm," Maura practically purred, already unbuttoning the first few buttons of Jane's shirt and kissing the newly exposed skin. "I think we need to do something about that."

Maura had only exposed a couple more inches of skin before she found herself jumping in surprise, startled by the loud knocking coming from the other side of the door.

"Girls! Stop having sex and get out here, we're all going down to the lake! You better be ready to go in ten minutes."

Jane sighed and rolled her eyes. "Remind me again why you said coming out here with all of them was a good idea?"

"They're your family, Jane, of course we should spend time with them. You can't keep me all to yourself all the time."

Maura gave her girlfriend a smirk before pulling herself off Jane's lap and moving to find her swimsuit in her suitcase. She pulled out a black bikini and hurried to put it on before Jane got too distracted and caused Angela to come looking for them again. She pulled on a pair of jean shorts and one of Jane's tshirts on top and couldn't help but laugh at Jane's pout.

"If you don't hurry up, she'll come back."

Jane groaned and stood from the bed, putting her own swimsuit and shorts on, almost offended that Maura barely seemed to notice she was getting undressed. That is, until the blonde walked over to her and wrapped her arms around Jane's neck, pulling her closer before whispering in her ear, "I can't wait to take that off of you later."

Maura gave her a smirk and released her, walking out the door to Jane's waiting family, making it nearly impossible for Jane to hide her arousal.

**- R & I -**

The lake near the cabin wasn't large enough for any boats to navigate; save for a small paddleboat the boys were using to fish a little ways from shore. Frank had fired up the outdoor grill and was currently cooking up some hotdogs and hamburgers while Angela sat on a blanket reading next to Maura, who was working on her tan.

Jane had ran down the small beach and immediately entered the water, swimming laps between the edges of the sectioned off swim area until she got bored. Quietly as she could, she exited the water and crept up to her girlfriend, who was currently laying peacefully in the sand in nothing but the very skimpy black bikini.

She signaled for her mother not to say a word and knelt next to Maura, who surprisingly had yet to notice her presence. Jane leaned over slightly, her soaking wet curls falling in front of her face. They began to drip large droplets of water on Maura's face and the blonde shrieked, apparently having fallen asleep.

"Jane! What are you doing?! You nearly scared me to death!"

"Come get in the water with me."

"No. I really don't want to get wet. I'm perfectly happy being dry."

"But you're already wet, see?" Jane countered, shaking her hair over Maura's body, dropping even more water on her girlfriend.

"Jane, stop! I really don't want to get wet. Please?" Maura gave her best pout and looked satisfied when Jane stood.

The next thing she knew, she was being picked up at the waist and practically thrown over Jane's shoulder. Though she couldn't see it, she knew Jane was grinning, thinking she had won this round.

And Maura was afraid she was right.

"Jane! Put me down! Now!"

"Nope, sorry, doc, afraid I can't do that."

"Please, Jane! I'll do whatever you want. Please. Anything."

"Hm…that certainly is an intriguing offer. But I think I'm going to have to pass."

Maura didn't have time to respond before she was submerged in the lake water, having been tossed in by Jane. She resurfaced as quickly as she could and stomped over to where Jane was standing; glaring when she saw Jane was unable to contain her laughter.

"I thought you didn't want to get wet? Glad to see you changed your mind" Jane said, still laughing at Maura's shocked expression.

Instead of replying, Maura cocked an eyebrow, giving Jane a glare that clearly said 'No sex for you tonight.'

Jane quickly sobered at her look and tried to give her a small, unsure smile, "I love you?"

Maura simply rolled her eyes in response, and then jumped on Jane, and even though Jane caught her, the surprise caused to lose her balance and they both fell under the water. When Jane was able to stand again, still holding Maura, who had wrapped her legs around Jane's waist and her arms around Jane's neck, she pressed a kiss to the blonde's lips, happy to see she wasn't really mad at her.

"I love you, too."

**- R & I -**

**A/N: **Let me know what you think. :)


	3. Their Love

**Disclaimer: **I don't own, I rent.

**Chapter Three**  
"Their Love"

Later that night after a few hours spent by the lake and another couple in the arms of her favorite blonde as they relaxed on their bed, Jane stood in the kitchen of the cabin with a content smile on her face. She couldn't keep her eyes off Maura, who had taken one of the Xbox controllers and was currently battling both Tommy and Frankie on some zombie game.

Jane was sure the doctor had no idea what she was doing, she was playing a human while the boys had both opted for undead creatures and Jane watched as she kept randomly running in various directions, shooting her gun with no particular rhyme or reason.

She couldn't help but chuckle a little when she noticed the look of pure concentration on her girlfriend's face, her eyes narrowed, her forehead scrunched up, lips pursed together.

"See something you like?"

"Hmm?" Jane was quickly brought out of her Maura-induced daydream by the sound of her mother's voice, though she had no clue what she had said and it still wasn't nearly enough to pry her eyes away from the blonde.

"You're staring, Janie."

"She's my girlfriend, I'm allowed to stare. And don't call me Janie."

Angela sighed and looked at Jane while Jane looked at the girl she had come to know as another daughter. Truth be told, she had never seen Jane quite so happy as when she was in the same room as Maura. As a mother, that's really all you want for your child, to know they're happy, safe, loved. Jane wasn't always safe, Angela was constantly worrying about her every time she stepped out the front door in her uniform, but she knew she was happy and she knew she was loved, and that was more than enough for her.

"You got pretty lucky with that one, Jane."

"What do you mean?" Jane asked with a confused raise of an eyebrow.

"Maura. I love you, hun, but you'll never do better than her."

"I'm well aware of that fact, Ma," Jane paused, taking another look at Maura. She never would have thought when she met Maura almost two years ago that she would have ever been here.

After the first couple weeks she had spent with Maura, she wasn't even certain how they could be friends. Maura was high class, if not also a big high strung, and Jane could tell she had never really gotten the chance to let her hair down, even when she was in college.

To see her here now, in a cabin in the middle of the woods, in Jane's BPD sweats, playing Xbox with her two brothers, it was truly unbelievable. But Jane wouldn't trade it for a thing.

"I'm going to marry that girl," she said, under her breath. If Angela had heard her, she didn't show it.

Not being able to stay away any longer, she moved to the couch and stood behind Maura, resting her hands on the blonde's shoulder and her chin on top of Maura's head. "Are you winning?"

"I honestly have no idea."

At that very moment, there was a huge explosion on the screen and Tommy let out an approving yell, pumping his fist in the air. "Ha! Zombies win."

"You think that makes you really badass, don't you? You and Frankie ganging up on poor Maura, who has never even played before, and you think you're so cool for taking her down? Seems pretty pathetic to me, Tommy."

"Whatever, Janie, I could beat you too."

"Alright. You and me, one on one. Let's go."

Jane moved around the couch and motioned for Maura to stand. Jane promptly took her seat, and then pulled her girlfriend back to rest on her lap. She then wrapped her arms around Maura's waist before taking the controller out of her hands and sending Tommy a threatening look.

"You going to start it or what?"

"You're going to play like that?" Tommy asked, a hint of mockery lacing his voice.

"Yep. And I'll still beat you."

Maura turned her head to face Jane and placed a light kiss on her cheek before whispering a soft good luck in her ear and turning back to watch the battle unfold. Jane squeezed Maura's waist in response and pressed a kiss to the back of her shoulder, then focused her attention on the screen as well.

Ten minutes later, Jane leaned back against the couch, pulling Maura with her, a smug look on her face. "Better luck next time, little brother."

Tommy muttered something under his breath and was about to stomp off toward his room upstairs when Angela called he and Frankie over to help set the table for dinner. The two boys left the living room and Jane couldn't help but laugh.

Maura turned in her arms and sat sideways across her lap before wrapping her arms around Jane's neck. Jane smiled at her and placed a few light kisses to the side of her neck, narrowly missing the spot behind her ear that always made Maura moan.

"You were very brave there, Jane."

"Yeah?" Jane cocked an eyebrow; she could tell from the tone that Maura was up to something. "It's just a game. But it still takes a lot of skill, you know?"

"Oh yes, I've heard of these so called skills before. Maybe after dinner you could give me a little demonstration?"

"I think that could be arranged, doc."

**- R & I -**

The next few days passed in similar fashion, and before they knew it, it was time to pack up and return to Boston. As Maura loaded them into the car, Jane had offered to do it, but apparently wasn't packing their bags in the most efficient manner, so Maura promptly took over, Angela called Jane inside for a moment.

"What is it, Ma? Maura wants to beat the evening traffic."

Angela didn't say a word, but pulled Jane into the bedroom she and Maura had been sharing and shut the door behind her. "Seriously, Ma, you're starting to freak me out. What's up?"

"I want you to have this," she said softly, as she slid a ring off her right hand and placed it in Jane's palm. "I always thought I would give it to Frankie when he met a nice girl, but I want Maura to have it."

"Nonna's wedding ring?"

Angela gave her a knowing smile and nodded, "I heard what you said the other night, Janie. When you're ready, I would love for you to give it to her."

It was one of the few times Jane had ever remembered being rendered speechless.

"Wow, um, thanks, Ma. She will love it."

Jane closed her hand around the ring and tucked it into her pocket. It wasn't anything extravagant by any means, but Jane knew what a big deal it was for her mother to pass it down to her. Jane had always admired it, ever since she was a kid; her mother had started wearing it after her Nonna had died when she was six.

The ring was silver, with a large circular diamond set into a square setting in the middle. On each side were two smaller square diamonds, a thin silver band connecting them. Jane could immediately picture the ring on her girlfriend's finger and she knew Maura would love it.

She also knew Maura would be beyond touched by being so included in the family; Jane saw this as her being officially accepted as a Rizzoli. Now all that she had to do was figure out how and when to ask.

Maura liked simple. She liked sweet and from the heart. Jane knew she didn't need a white horse or a thousand yellow daisies, but she still wanted the moment to be special. She wanted it to be the best day of Maura's life so far and that would take a little planning.

She felt Angela pull her into a bone-crushing hug that she, for once, didn't resist.

"I love you, Jane. You turned into a pretty great girl. Even if I still hate the fact that you're a cop."

Jane chuckled a bit and stepped backward out of Angela's embrace, "I love you, too, Ma. I better get back outside before Maura sends out a search party."

The two made their way back to the front of the cabin just as Maura was shutting the trunk. She said a quick goodbye to her mother before meeting Maura at the passenger side door, opening it for her and kissing her cheek before letting her inside, then making her way around to the other door.

She glanced over at her girlfriend before turning the engine over and couldn't help but smile.

Yes, she was going to marry that girl.

That much she knew for sure.

**- R & I -**

**A/N: **As always, reviews make me happy, so let me know what you think. :)


	4. Their Timing

**Disclaimer: **I don't own, I rent.

**A/N:** Sorry about the wait, guys. I had a bit of trouble with this one, but it needed to happen this way in order to properly set up the story. Oh, and sorry in advance for anything that may not be totally accurate about the police related stuff, anything I know about the subject comes from television, so it might not be all that realistic. But I tried my best! Anyway, I hope it was worth the wait!

**Chapter Four**  
"Their Timing"

"Rizzoli!"

Jane's head snapped up instantly as her Lieutenant's voice rang out across the squad room. She quickly located where the voice was coming from, a hesitant look on her face.

"Yeah?"

"My office. Now."

"Uh, yes, sir." In her mind, she began to panic. She couldn't think of anything she'd done wrong in the last few days, why did it seem like she was in trouble? Lieutenant Marshall was a strict, ridged kind of guy, not the kind of person who invited you into his office to chat.

She slowly crossed the room, ignoring the curious gazes of her coworkers. When she reached the office, she slid inside and quietly latched the door behind her.

"Have a seat, Rizzoli."

"What's up, sir?"

"I have a proposition for you."

"A proposition?"

"Yes. The drug unit has been working a case for quite some time now and they're in need of a little help. They need a couple of women to go in and get close to the boss, get some inside information that they haven't been able to get with the guys they have now. I've recommended you for the job."

"Me?"

"Yes, even though you haven't been here for long, you were top of your class at the academy and you've shown a lot of promise in the last year. Not to mention, you are one of the few who meet the physical requirements."

"Wow, thank you, sir. I'd be honored."

"So you accept the assignment?"

"Of course, sir. Thank you so much."

"Excellent. You'll have a partner while you're undercover, she will go everywhere with you, all the time, no exceptions. You two need to have each other's backs. I don't want one of you getting into trouble because they got you alone."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

At that moment, a knock came at the door and a young woman around Jane's age walked in. Jane raised an eyebrow at her tattooed forearm as she held out her hand to shake Jane's. She had never seen this woman around the station, which struck Jane as odd, but she didn't have time to think too much of it.

"Rizzoli, this is Riley Cooper. She's going to be your partner out in the field for the next couple months."

"Nice to meet you, Jane, I've heard a lot of good things about you. Looking forward to working with you."

"Yeah, you too," Jane said, a little unsure. She definitely couldn't say the same about the other young cop, but they seemed like the kind of people who could possibly get along.

"Why don't you two take the rest of the afternoon to get to know one another? Be back tomorrow 8am sharp for your briefing."

"Yes, sir," they both replied, then exited the office, looking at each other, unsure of exactly what they should do next.

"Wanna grab a beer?" Riley suggested.

Jane nodded and the two headed off to The Dirty Robber, a bar Jane had begun to frequent after work on the nights Maura was working at the hospital.

**- R & I -**

Four beers and two hamburgers later, Jane was surprised at how well she and Riley were getting along. They actually had a lot in common, they were both originally from Boston, both kind of fell into the cop thing, neither had planned on this being their career, but it seemed to be working out well for both of them so far.

Riley had joined the force about a year earlier than Jane and had been on one other undercover assignment since, which she had just wrapped up a few weeks before, explaining why Jane hadn't seen her around the station much.

As she sipped the last few drops of her beer and signaling to the waitress for two more, Jane felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and smiled as pulled it out and saw Maura's face smiling back at her, letting her know that her girlfriend was on the other end. "Sorry, I've gotta take this real quick."

Riley nodded with an understanding look and watched as Jane put the phone to her ear, smile still on her face.

"Hey, Maur."

Riley watched as Jane's face fell from a smile to a small frown, obviously disappointed by what she was hearing.

"But I have some news! I thought we could celebrate tonight … just wake me up when you get home."

Her frown deepened and she sighed in defeat. "Okay, maybe we could have breakfast tomorrow then? … Yeah, okay. … Okay … Love you too."

"Everything okay?" Riley asked hesitantly when Jane ended the call.

Jane took a deep breath before nodding, "Yeah, it's just…my girlfriend. She's a doctor, and even though she's a dead person doctor, she's gotta work some pretty long hours sometimes. Seems ridiculous, right? I mean, they're already dead, what kind of hurry could they possibly be in?"

Riley laughed, taking a long swig of her beer. "Women, huh? Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em."

"Right?" Jane exclaimed, thankful someone understood her point. "So what about you?"

"Oh," Riley started with a bit of a laugh, "it's just me. The job makes it hard, ya know? I had a girl, we were together for a couple years, but she just didn't get it, the job, I mean. She couldn't handle it, so we had to go our separate ways. It sucked, but it was for the best."

"Geez. Sorry to hear that." Jane took a drink of her beer and flicked the screen of her phone on and glanced at the picture of the two of them that Maura had set as her background.

"I'm sure you guys will be fine though," Riley commented, afraid she had accidently planted a seed of doubt in Jane's head.

"No, no, of course we will," Jane said, feeling confident again, "We are meant for one another. We will be fine. I'm sure of it."

Riley nodded and Jane quickly downed the rest of her beer, ignoring the nagging feeling in her gut and standing. "So I'll see you in the morning?"

"Eight sharp. Don't be late!" Riley called after her retreating form.

**- R & I -**

By the time six am rolled around, Jane was sound asleep in her bed. She had figured she would have been up all night, tossing and turning, nervous about her first undercover operation. She'd felt anxious about it all evening after talking with Riley, both about actually going undercover and how it was going to affect her relationship with Maura.

The moment her head had hit the pillow, however, she was out like a light and fell into a sleep too deep even for dreams to visit her.

Six hours later, she felt herself being slowly being awakened by soft kisses against her cheek. She smiled and turned her head to capture Maura's lips with her own.

"Mmm, morning, babe," Jane whispered as she wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist and pulled her closer, "what time is it?"

"Just after six. I'm so sorry I'm late sweetie, I just didn't have a choice, and-"

Before she could get another word out, she was cut off by Jane kissing her and pulling her even closer.

"Shh, Maura, it's fine. You're here now, that's what matters. I'm just glad I get to see you before I have to go to work."

"So what's your news? You sound excited on the phone."

"I got a promotion! Well, kind of, I get to go undercover, for the drug unit. It's a big deal, Maur, if I do well, prove to them I can do this, I'll be that much closer to making homicide."

Jane barely caught the grin on Maura's face before the blonde was kissing her again, long and hard and slow, then short and light, her lips gracing Jane's jawline and cheek before resting just below her ear and lingering there for a few moments.

"I'm so proud of you, Jane," she whispered, then untangled herself from Jane's arms and stood, holding her hand out for the officer to join her.

"Come on, I'll make us breakfast to celebrate," she said with a smile. For a moment, Jane thought she caught a bit of hesitation in her eyes, but as soon as she saw it, it was gone, so she wrote it off as her eyes playing tricks on her and she rose from the bed and followed her girlfriend into the kitchen.

"What is it you will actually be doing?" Maura asked, casually, as she retrieved the eggs and milk from the fridge.

"Well, I don't know exactly, I'll find out for sure when I get there this morning, all I know is I have to get some information about some drug dealers, get close to their boss."

Maura tried her best to keep the frown from her face, but wasn't entirely successful.

"What?" Jane asked, "What's with the frown?"

"It's just," Maura started, letting out a sigh and looking away, "It just sounds awfully dangerous."

Jane gave her a sympathetic smile and moved next to her before wrapping her arms around Maura's waist and pulling her close. She pressed a small kiss to the blonde's lips and pulled back slightly to rest her own forehead against Maura's.

"I'll be fine, Maur, I promise. This is a good thing."

"If you say so," she replied, though she still looked unconvinced.

"I do. Now bring me my breakfast, woman," Jane replied with a smirk. Maura gave her a smack on the arm before letting out a huff of mock frustration and turning toward the stove again.

"Just for that, no bacon for you."

"Aw, c'mon, that's the best part!"

"You should have thought about that before."

Jane closed the distance between them once again and pressed against Maura from behind, moving her hair to one side to expose her neck, then wrapping her arms around Maura's waist. She placed small, light kisses to Maura's neck, trailing up from her collarbone to the sensitive spot behind her ear.

"I love you, Maura."

Maura couldn't help but smile and she let out a sigh of defeat before grabbing a slice of bacon from the counter and held it up to Jane's mouth. The brunette gladly took the offering with a grin, then stepped back and jumped onto the counter, legs dangling over the edge.

The blonde grinned at her girlfriend thinking she had never once felt quite so much love for another person in her entire life and thankful that she felt just as much love coming back to her.

"I love you too, Jane."

**- R & I -**

**A/N: **Alright, time for some actual plot! I know you guys love the fluff, but what's a good story without some drama? It's going to be a bit of a bumpy ride from here on out. Let me know what you think!


	5. Their Fight

**Disclaimer: **I don't own, I rent.

**A/N:** All I've got to say is, y'all gotta trust me! Jane and Maura are endgame. There will be some angst and a bit of drama, but you have to keep the faith that they will work it out. All I'm going to say. :)

**Chapter Four**  
"Their Fight"

The next morning, Jane and Riley met in the café of BPD and each grabbed a cup of coffee before making their way upstairs for their assignment briefing. The meeting was short and to the point, they were issued fake ids, learned their backstories and got the address of their undercover apartment, which they were to share together.

After a few hours of reading over case files and doing research in one of the conference rooms, Jane and Riley packed up and headed out to pack their belongings and move into their temporary place. They wouldn't have to stay there every night, of course, but they needed to keep up appearances.

Jane wasn't certain how Maura was going to feel about the situation; not only was she going to be in a much more dangerous situation than normal, but she was going to be spending even more time away, not to mention sharing an apartment with another woman.

No, Jane was pretty sure Maura wasn't going to be a big fan of any of this.

She walked in the door at three that afternoon to what she was certain was the most adorable scene she'd ever witnessed. Maura had her back to the door and had clearly not heard her enter over the sound of the upbeat pop song that was playing on the radio.

She appeared to be sorting through her books, she kept removing them from the shelves and placing them in different spots, all while dancing to the beat, her hips swaying with the rhythm as she sang loudly, not to mention poorly, and Jane couldn't help but laugh.

The unexpected noise was enough to startle the blonde and she jumped slightly then whipped her head around and smiled when she saw that it was Jane.

"Hey! You're home early today. Did you miss me too much to stay away?" she asked with a smirk, setting down the book in her hand.

"Always," Jane replied with a smile, as she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around the blonde. "What are you doing, anyway?"

"Organizing my books! They were sorted alphabetically by title, but I don't know what I was thinking, clearly it is much more efficient to have them sorted by subject, then by title within the subject."

"Clearly," Jane agreed with a nod. "I just came home early to pack up a few things before tomorrow."

Maura pulled back from Jane enough to look in her eyes, "Pack? For what?"

"For the undercover assignment," she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't understand."

"Well I can't exactly live here and be undercover, can I? I mean, they could figure out who I am, who you are, they could come after us and I'm certainly not going to put you in danger."

"So what, you were just going to move out without even mentioning it to me?"

"Maur, I'm not moving out! It's more like…I don't know…taking a vacation!"

"Not really, why would you be going on vacation without me?"

"Why are you making this so difficult?" Jane asked with an exasperated sigh, "it's not that big of a deal!"

"Of course it is, Jane. And when were you planning on me finding out? When you just didn't show up tomorrow night? I just can't believe you didn't tell me about this before!"

"I'm telling you now! It's not like I kept it a secret, I've literally been home for less than five minutes, when exactly did you expect me to tell you before now?"

"You could have told me this morning."

"I was a little distracted this morning, seeing as it was the first time I got to see you in two days and we only got, what, an hour before I had to leave?"

"Oh, here we go again," Maura said as she threw her hands up and walked into the kitchen. "You say that like it's my choice, like I'm choosing to be away from you. I'm working! I'm doing everything I can to further my career, isn't that exactly what you're doing right now, Jane? How is this any different?"

"I don't know, it just is!"

"Well that's mature."

"You're never home anymore! You're always working late or covering for someone else or going in early. It's like you don't even want to be here anymore."

"That's ridiculous, Jane. I'm not the one who is moving out!"

"Jesus, Maura, come on, I'm not moving out! I'll still get to come back and see you a couple nights a week, then the other nights I'll be working with Riley, staying at our undercover apartment."

"Wait, who's Riley?" Maura asked, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Had Jane not been so in tune with her girlfriend's expressions, she might have missed it. But she didn't.

"She's my partner now, at least for this assignment. We're going to be working together."

"So you're leaving me, and moving in with some other girl? Just like that?"

"Just like that? What are you talking about, Maura? What exactly do you think is going to happen? Because we are just working together. That's it."

"I just think it's strange. I mean, I don't even get to meet her? You're going to be living with her and you can't introduce your girlfriend? Why is that, Jane?"

"Are you really saying what I think you're saying?" Jane asked. Maura didn't respond, but looked to the floor, which was enough to tell Jane that she was right in her assumption.

"I can't believe this. You honestly think I would cheat on you? After everything…I can't believe you're serious right now."

"Jane, I-"

"No, you know what, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm just going to pack a few of my things, and then I'll sleep on the couch. I have to be up early anyway."

Jane turned and left the room, leaving Maura to wipe away her own tears for the first time in a very long time. That certainly hadn't been how she had planned on this conversation, or even this evening, going.

Now what were they going to do?

**- R & I -**

Jane flipped over onto her other side for what felt like the hundredth time since she'd come to bed. She punched her pillow a few times for good measure and attempted to untangle her too-small blanket from around her foot without much progress.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a sound coming from down the hall.

Jane strained her ear to detect where the sound was originating from and couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful when she recognized it as their bedroom door opening. Maybe Maura had come to apologize.

Moments passed and Maura had yet to make herself known. It was long enough for Jane to sing that stupid pop song that had been stuck in her head since she got home three times through in her head and Jane sighed, resigning to the fact that her girlfriend hadn't come to make up, but had probably just gone down the hall to the bathroom.

A few more moments passed and Jane felt herself beginning to drift off when she was once again startled by a sound. The next thing she knew, she felt the lightest of touches against her cheek, bringing her back from the brink of sleep.

"Jane?" Maura asked softly, trying not to wake her in case she was already asleep.

"Yeah?"

Maura sighed and pressed a kiss to Jane's forehead, then pulled back to look Jane in the eyes. Well, as much as she could in the darkness, anyway.

"I'm sorry," she said, simply.

"I'm sorry too, baby. I didn't mean what I said. I know you work hard, and I know it's because you're working toward what you've always wanted. I never meant to make you feel guilty about that."

"Shh," Maura said, soothingly, "I know. It's okay; we both said stupid things. I never meant to imply that I thought you would ever be unfaithful to me. I know you love me and I know you wouldn't do that."

"Never, Maura. I love you so much, I could never."

"I know," she said, nodding, "Come to bed? I don't want to spend our last night together for a while sleeping in separate rooms. Let's make the most of it, shall we?"

She pulled Jane to a standing position and held her hand, leading her back into the bedroom. The two fell together into the mess of sheets and blankets, immediately finding one another and tangling their bodies together.

In moments they were fast asleep, all thoughts of their fight forgotten, at least for now, happy to be spending one more night in each other's arms.

**- R & I -**


	6. Their Morning

**Disclaimer:** I don't own, I rent.

**A/N:** First of all, I just want to say thank you to all of you who have reviewed. Not going to lie, I was a bit surprised at the lack of response after the overwhelming amount of reviews for Teach Me, but that just makes each of you who do take the time to reply that much more awesome, so thank you so much.

Also, to those of you who say Jane is selfish, I will be the first to agree with you. In this story, my Jane is selfish, I wrote her that way on purpose and while she IS getting better, it's not going to be totally cured anytime soon, so don't get your hopes up too much.

Anyway, thanks again for loving my writing so much, you guys, because I really do love putting it out there for you all to read. :)

Oh, and quick warning, this chapter gets a bit above our usual 'T' rating, so if that's not your thing, feel free to skip this.

**Chapter Six**  
"Their Morning"

Jane slowly opened her eyes, surprised when she didn't see the sun shining through the bedroom windows. A quick look at the clock told her it was only 5:15. Jane didn't have to meet Riley until noon, but she didn't want to waste a second of her morning with Maura.

Luckily for them, Maura had the day off so there was no rush, for once, and they finally had a little time to relax.

Jane looked down at the blonde in her arms and smiled as she leaned down to press a kiss to her temple. As slowly and quietly as she could, she extracted herself from her girlfriend's grasp and shuffled down the hall to the kitchen. She couldn't help but think back to their fight the night before, still feeling awful that she let it escalate as far as it did.

Of course Maura wouldn't have been okay with her living with Riley, even though it was only temporary. Jane had tried to pass it off as no big deal, not thinking that it would backfire on her and leave Maura feeling like Jane didn't care how it affected her girlfriend, which was definitely not the case.

Jane grabbed her phone from the counter and sent Riley a quick text as she began to whip up some French Toast, complete with bacon, sausage and orange juice. She arranged the plates on a tray and quietly tiptoed back down the hall to their bedroom.

Jane smiled at the sight in front of her. In her absence, Maura had spread out, almost laying diagonally on their bed, head still on her pillow, arm flung across the other side where Jane had previously been, legs sprawled out, hair going every which way.

The officer couldn't help but wonder how she had gotten quite so lucky.

She slowly made her way over to the bed and set the tray on the bedside table, then carefully climbed onto the bed, sitting atop her girlfriend's waist and leaned down before placing a string of soft butterfly kisses from her collarbone, up her neck to her ear, then down her jaw line, finally meeting her waiting lips.

Maura let out a soft moan at the contact and her hands immediately moved to Jane's hips, trying to bring her closer. She moved her fingertips under the hem of Jane's shirt, brushing them against her abs, moving ever so slowly upward.

Before she could reach her destination, however, Jane began to pull back, grin on her face as Maura's eyes finally met her own.

"Morning, baby," Jane whispered, slowly removing herself from the blonde and standing next to the bed once again. She leaned down for one more kiss, then followed with another on Maura's cheek. "I made you breakfast."

"Oh, Jane, that's so sweet! You didn't have to do that!"

"Of course I did," Jane replied, setting the tray in Maura's lap and moving to sit next to her. She grabbed one of the plates and quickly inhaled a piece of bacon.

"You're my girlfriend, and I love you," she continued, "and I was kind of an ass to you last night. So at the very least, you deserve breakfast in bed."

"Kind of an ass?" Maura asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Okay, really an ass. And I'm sorry. And I love you. Did I mention I'm sorry?"

"Once or twice," Maura said with a smile, "And I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to imply-"

"Hey," Jane cut her off, "No need to be sorry. If the situations would have been reversed, I would have reacted even worse, so don't worry about it, okay?"

Maura nodded and finally took a bite, giving a moan of approval as the warm toast met her tongue. The two continued to eat, mostly in silence, but occasionally commenting on whatever popped in their heads.

After they had finished, Jane collected the dishes and brought them back to the kitchen, quickly washing them, then racing back down the hall when she heard her girlfriend turn the shower on.

If Jane had learned anything in the past year, it was that make up sex was the best kind of sex. Except maybe shower sex. And make up sex in the shower? That was unbeatable.

She slid in the bathroom, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could so she didn't alert Maura to her presence. She silently stripped out of her clothes and actually bothered to put them in the hamper for once. She slid the curtain open and stepped inside, immediately wrapping her arms around Maura's waist and pulling her close.

Jane smiled as she felt Maura lean into her touch and set her own arms on top of Jane's.

"I was hoping you'd join me," Maura said softly.

Jane didn't respond, she simply squeezed Maura a little tighter, then moved her hair so it fell over her left shoulder as she leaned down and kissed her the right side of her neck. She found a spot just below her hairline and stayed there for a moment, nipping and sucking until the spot turned bright red.

Smirking, she ran her hands up Maura's sides until she was able to cup her breasts in her palms. With her right hand, she rolled her nipple between her two fingers causing Maura to let out a deep moan. She continued to give her attention to Maura's breasts, alternating between the two.

"Oh God, Jane."

She slowly slid her hands further down Maura's body and she pushed her forward against the wall of the shower. Jane moved her hands around to the blonde's back and ran one hand down Maura's ass, before finding her center. Without warning, she thrust two fingers deep inside her girlfriend, who immediately let out a string of moans when Jane continued to move in and out, picking up speed each time.

"Fuck," Maura let out under her breath, which only made Jane smile even wider.

Nothing was hotter than Maura Isles cursing. Absolutely nothing.

She continued her pace, but turned her hand so that she could run a thumb over Maura's clit, causing her to give a quick spasm, followed by another string of words Maura normally wouldn't use. Jane continued her rhythm for a few more moments until she felt Maura's walls clenching around her fingers and she attached her lips to Maura's neck once more as she felt the waves of ecstasy flow through the blonde.

She let Maura come back down from her high slowly before extracting herself from her girlfriend and placed her arms around Maura's stomach, holding her in place, but giving her a bit more space between herself and the shower wall.

Still panting, Maura turned in Jane's arms and wrapped her own around Jane's neck, then rested her head in the crook of her neck, kissing it softly. She let out a content sigh, pulling her arms tighter.

"I love you, Jane. I'm going to miss you while you're gone."

"I'll miss you too, sweetie, but I'll be back on Tuesday and I fully expect to find you in this shower when I get here," Jane replied and placed a kiss to the top of Maura's head.

Maura let out a laugh, then turned them so that Jane's back was against the wall, then ran a hand down her stomach and brushed the top of her folds, which Maura could already feel were soaking wet, she leaned up and captured Jane's lips between her own, then pulled back, smirk on her face.

"My turn."

**- R & I -**

**A/N:** This so wasn't what I planned on this chapter being, but what can you do. Sometimes you just need a little smut. But I will be the first to admit that smut is not my thing and I always get so nervous about it because I rarely write this type of thing. But maybe you guys liked it?


	7. Their Parting

**Disclaimer:** I don't own, I rent.

**A/N:**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Glad you didn't totally hate my sexy time. ;)

I really am trying to update more often, but seeing as this semester is my last (EVER!) it's been pretty crazy. I should be able to at least get updates out on Friday's for the most part, though. That's my goal anyway. :)

**Chapter Seven**  
"Their Parting"

After their fun in the shower, the girls has moved to their bedroom so Jane could finish packing up her things. Maura sat at the top of the bed, sitting with her back against the headboard, as Jane moved around the room picking things up here and there. Maura was going on about what she had been doing at work in the past few weeks, but Jane could sense her mind wasn't truly focusing on it.

Finally, there was a small pause in Maura's story and Jane took the opportunity to catch her gaze, looking her square in the eye.

"What is it, Maur?"

"I...it's just..." Maura started hesitantly, "I know you're excited about this. And I'm happy for you, I really am, I'm glad you're getting a shot to prove yourself, but I have a really bad feeling about this."

"Since when do you listen to your gut?"

"Since my gut tells me you might be in danger, and I really don't want anything to happen to you, Jane."

Jane set down the shirt she'd been folding and moved around the bed. She sat next to Maura, one hand on either side of her hips, and leaned over so that they were face to face. She gave her girlfriend a small, loving kiss, then used the tip of her fingers to lift her chin so that Maura was looking her in the eye.

"Maura," Jane started, slowly, softly, "I'm scared too. You know I love you, right?"

Jane paused, waiting for Maura to acknowledge her question. Finally Maura gave a slight nod before practically whispering, "Of course I do, Jane."

"Then you have to trust me. You have to trust that I love you enough to come home to you; that I'll do whatever it takes to get back to you," Jane paused, brought her had to Maura's face and cupped her cheek lightly, running the pad of her thumb across to wipe the tear that had escaped her eye. "Can you do that?"

It was an honest question, one to which for the first time, Jane was unsure of the answer. She knew Maura loved her, she knew she loved Maura, but she'd had the sinking feeling lately that they were getting closer and closer to that place where just loving each other wasn't enough anymore.

Jane knew that this assignment would be hard on them, that they would have to fight like hell to make it out the other side without losing one another along the way. She knew she was in; there was no one in this world she wanted to love than the beautiful blonde who sat before her.

But this wasn't what Maura signed on for, and Jane was well aware of that fact. Of course Maura had been supportive when Jane had decided to become a cop, but being a cop's wife was never easy. There's a reason so many men Jane worked around were divorced, many of them having more than one failed marriage.

Jane didn't want her relationship with Maura to end this way, but she also wanted Maura to be happy, to have everything she wanted in life, and if that wasn't her, she knew she had to be strong enough to let her go.

The two sat in silence for another moment, Maura still making no move to answer Jane's question. Seconds ticked by and Jane got more and more nervous. What if she said no? What if she couldn't handle this? What if this was it for them?

"Maur?"

Maura closed the small gap between her lips and Jane's and reached her hands up to cup Jane's cheeks, holding her close. She pulled back, then left a few smaller kisses on her girlfriend's lips before finally leaning back to look Jane in the eye.

"I can do that," she whispered gave Jane a smile.

**- R & I -**

It was around 11:00 that morning when Jane and Maura were startled by a knocking at the door. They had just begun to make some lunch and Jane immediately hopped up from the bar stool where she had been watching Maura cook and moved toward the door.

"Are we expecting someone?" Maura asked, without turning from the stove where she had begun to boil some pasta.

Jane didn't answer, she was already opening the door and waving their guest inside. They both moved back to the kitchen and Maura finally turned when she heard them approaching.

"Maura, this is Riley," Jane said, hesitantly. She wondered briefly if she should have mentioned that Riley was coming before she arrived, but she figured it was too late now, no use worrying about it.

A quick look of shock passed across Maura's features, but it was gone almost as quickly as it appeared and was replaced with a polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Riley," Jane started, turning to her new partner, "this is my girlfriend, Maura."

Riley grinned at the blonde and stuck out her hand to meet Maura's. The doctor was hesitant, but shook her hand nonetheless. "So great to meet you, Maura, you're basically all Jane talks about, ya know. Nice to finally put a face to the name."

Maura blushed slightly and gave her girlfriend a small smile who leaned over to give her a quick peck on the cheek. "It's lovely to meet you too, Riley, will you be staying for lunch?"

"Only if it's not a problem," Riley replied, though it sounded more like a question than a statement.

"Oh, not at all, make yourself at home, I'm just going to finish the cooking."

Maura turned back to the stove and tended to her spaghetti sauce, the Rizzoli family recipe. She'd been trying for months to learn as many recipes from Angela as she could, but this was one she couldn't quite get right. She was sure Jane was getting tired of eating so much pasta, but she just couldn't quit until she finally figured out what it was missing.

Jane ushered Riley into the living room before excusing herself to go back to the kitchen. She immediately walked up behind her doctor and wrapped her arms around Maura's waist tightly, then pressed a kiss into her hair. Maura relaxed into her touch, not realizing how tense she'd been before.

"Thank you," Maura said softly.

Jane squeezed her tighter with her left arm, then moved her right up Maura's side before tucking a stray curl behind her ear and kissed her temple, "You're welcome, baby. I knew meeting her was important to you, so I made it happen."

Maura gave her a slight nod, appreciative of her actions and knowing this was Jane's way of saying she was sorry for overreacting the night before.

"Now you can get to know her a little," Jane continued, but then stopped when she heard Maura give a small laugh.

"Get to know her? I think you mean let her know what's coming to her if she let's anyone hurt a single hair on your head."

Jane couldn't help the grin forming on her face. It wasn't often that she got to witness it, but when she did, she relished every moment of Maura' s protective side. The idea of her sweet, loving girlfriend ever inflicting serious pain upon anyone was laughable at best, but knowing she would be willing to do it for her gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

**- R & I -**

An hour later, Riley had already left for their new apartment and Jane was moving her bags to the car, trying to fight the tear threatening to leak from her eye.

She was a cop, damnit, she was not going to cry right now.

Five days, only five days and she would be back with Maura. So she was going on the most dangerous operation of her career, there would probably be many in the future far more dangerous than this.

So she had to spend time away from Maura, longer than they'd ever been apart since Maura had moved back to Boston, this would be inevitable in the future as well.

She could do this.

So why did she feel like running upstairs, taking Maura into her arms and hiding away from the world in their bedroom for the rest of their lives?

"Jane?"

Maura's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she realized she had finished packing the car with her bags. She shut the trunk and moved toward her girlfriend, pulling her into a tight hug.

"You'll call me when you can?" Maura asked softly.

"The very second it's safe. I promise. And I'll be back on Tuesday. We can make it five days, right? We'll just take this a week a time."

Maura nodded and held Jane a little tighter, not ready to let go. Maura had no idea how long they stood there, she only knows Jane pulled away too soon, knowing she had to get to the other side of town and get to work.

"I love you," Jane whispered as she placed a kiss to Maura's lips. One kiss turned into two, two into three and before they knew it, they were lost in one another, willing the moment to last forever.

They were interrupted by a buzz from Jane's phone; a text from Riley asking if she was on her way. Jane knew she'd stalled too long and there was no way to make it last any longer. With one last kiss and an exchange of 'I love you,' Jane reluctantly climbed into the car, not wanting to leave.

Maura stood at the curb and watched as her girlfriend's car disappeared around the corner and tried once again to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest. She looked down at her phone, wishing she could just call her, but knowing she couldn't. She stared at it, willing it to ring, not even caring that she'd only seen her only six minutes before.

Tuesday seemed like years away and Maura was already counting down the seconds until she would see Jane again.

431,640 of them, to be exact.

Little did Maura know, she wouldn't hear from Jane for two weeks.

**- R & I -**

**A/N:** As always, reviews make me super happy, so take a second to let me know what you think. :)


	8. Their Separation

**Disclaimer: **I don't own, I rent.

**A/N:** Hey guys, SO sorry for the long wait on this one! Time kind of got away from me a bit. So many things have happened since I last updated, I graduated college, went to LA, went to NYC, _**I MET SASHA ALEXANDER**_, ran some half marathons and worked insane amounts of hours. It's been crazy. But things should definitely be more relaxed from now on, so back to regular updates, I promise!

Also, one more thing. I had a hard time with this chapter; I kept rewriting parts because I felt like maybe it wasn't realistic enough. I don't pretend to know how the inner workings of a police station operate, so if something isn't totally accurate, I apologize, I did the best I can.

**Chapter Eight**  
"Their Separation"

Maura's first day without Jane came and passed more quickly than she expected, but she still found herself staring at her phone, willing it to ring at least once every ten or fifteen minutes.

It never rang.

She figured Jane was probably busy, of course she had no idea what she and Riley were planning to do, but they probably wanted to get right to work. The sooner they started, the sooner they could catch their perp and Jane could come home.

Maura went to bed that night with a knot in the pit of her stomach, the one that had been steadily forming since Jane had first told her she was going undercover. It had grown in size when Jane failed to call by midnight, but Maura knew she couldn't stay up any longer or she would never be able to make it to work by six the next morning.

The next few days came and went in similar fashion and by Tuesday, Maura was a wreck. Jane was supposed to have been home by ten that morning, but the hour came and went and she was nowhere to be found. Eleven came, then twelve, then the afternoon hours drug on for what seemed like years.

Finally, at six that night, Maura knew she couldn't wait anymore. She'd been nauseous for hours and couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong; she picked up her phone, trying to calm her nerves and failing miserably.

Within minutes she was on the phone with the police station, demanding to be put straight through to Jane's lieutenant. In the few moments she was placed on hold, Maura could feel her breaths becoming more frequent and shallow and by the time Lieutenant Marshall had picked up the phone.

"Lieutenant Marshall," the older man replied as he picked up his phone.

"Hello, Lieutenant, this is Maura Isles. Jane Rizzoli's girlfriend."

"Yes, Dr. Isles. How are you?"

"To be honest, Lieutenant, I've been better. I'm very worried about Jane, she was supposed to come home today and she never showed up. It's not like her to not call and let me know. I realize she may not have much of an opportunity to do so on this assignment, but, and Jane would never believe I'm saying this, my gut tells me something is wrong."

"I realize you're upset, Dr. Isles, I wish I knew what to tell you, but –"

"Where is Jane?" Maura cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"Dr. Isles, I know you're worried, but I assure you –"

"Where is Jane?" Maura asked again, effectively cutting him off, with much more force behind her words this time.

"We, uh…we aren't sure," Lieutenant Marshall replied hesitantly.

"You're not sure?! How can you not be sure?!"

"Well, uh…" The normally articulate man was finding it difficult to express himself. No matter how many times he had to have a call of this nature, and so far, it wasn't many in his short time as Lieutenant, it never got any easier.

"I'm so sorry to tell you this, Dr. Isles, but we are currently unable to locate Jane."

Maura felt her heart stop. She could feel her lungs ceasing to fill with air and it took every ounce of strength not to drop the phone. It was her worst nightmare coming true before her eyes, and it hurt more than she could have ever imagined.

Jane was missing?

Jane couldn't be missing. She just couldn't. She felt the tears begin to fall down her cheeks and she gripped the phone a little tighter.

"Dr. Isles, I'm so sorry. We are doing everything we can to find her, I promise you. I wish I knew more at the moment, but I don't. I will call you as soon as I know anything further."

Maura nodded, not registering the fact that the man on the other side of the phone couldn't see her. She brought the phone from her face and hit end, before gripping it as tight as she could, frustration welling up inside her.

In an uncharacteristic burst of anger, Maura flung her phone across the room and watched as it fell onto the couch cushion with a light thud. She let out a groan of frustration and hastily wiped the tears that were falling down her cheeks. Before she could stop it, her knees gave out and she collapsed to the floor, a sob escaping her.

She had no idea how long she sat there, one arm resting on the chair next to her, her cheek pressed into the soft fabric. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours, hell; it could have been days. When she finally felt the tears begin to dry, she lifted her head slowly and nearly felt her heart stop when she saw someone had joined her in the living room.

How had she not noticed that?

She gave out a small shriek, and covered her heart with her hand and begged her heartbeat to slow down a bit.

"Angela! You scared me! I didn't hear you come in."

"I'm not surprised, honey, you were pretty upset. I was going to come give you a hug, but I was afraid I might give you a heart attack."

"What are you doing here?"

"I called a few times and you didn't pick up. Maybe it's the mother in me, but I was worried, so I thought I'd drop by and make sure you were okay. Clearly, you aren't, so it's a good thing I stopped by. Now tell me, what happened?"

Maura felt the tears well up in her eyes once more and she hesitated, unsure of how to break this news to the woman she's come to know as her own mother. Angela would be just as upset as she is over the news that Jane was missing, Maura didn't want to be the one to do that to the older woman.

"Uh…well, you see…"

But the tears were too much for her, she couldn't create a full sentence and she hung her head in defeat, letting the sobs overtake her. A few moments later, she felt Angela's hand on her back, urging her to stand, and she lead Maura over to the couch and sat with her, rubbing her back and pulling her into a hug.

"It'll be okay, sweetie. Whatever it is, we'll make it through this."

Finally, the tears stopped long enough for Maura to take a deep breath and before she could stop them or worry about how they would sound, the words tumbled out of her mouth.

"Jane is missing."

She had expected an outburst, she had expected tears and screaming, she was not prepared for the Angela Rizzoli she was met with. Angela stared straight ahead, face stone cold, no emotion visible on her face, even for Maura, who was quite in tune with micro-expressions.

She felt the arm around her shoulders pull her in tighter and she rested her head on Angela's shoulder, exhausted from a day of worrying and a night of crying. After what felt like hours, Angela finally spoke.

"They'll find her. They have to find her."

Angela didn't know the specifics, and she knew she would need to know eventually, but right now, she didn't think she could hear it. This moment was the one she dreaded since the moment Jane told her she had wanted to become a cop and especially now, now that she was leaving Maura behind, Angela couldn't help but believe that this wouldn't be the last time she and Maura were in this position.

"What if she never comes home?" Maura asked, softly, finally speaking the words they'd both been thinking.

"She will. She has to. She still has so much left to do. And she wouldn't leave you, not without a fight. She will come home, and you two will get married and everything will be fine."

"Married? But," Maura paused, unsure of how to proceed, "We haven't talked about marriage yet, Angela. I really don't think Jane's ready for that kind of a commitment."

Maura was surprised when, instead of replying, Angela let out a soft chuckle. Maura instantly felt like she were missing something, like she was out of the loop. She had been used to that feeling growing up, but since she met Jane, she'd almost forgotten how that felt.

"Of course she is," Angela said, a smile growing on her face, "She's been carrying around a ring for weeks, waiting for the right moment."

"She…she has?"

Angela nodded, her smile a full grown grin now, though it instantly sobered as another thought popped in her head, "You can't tell Janie I told you, though. She would be so upset with me."

Maura smiled for the first time in what felt like days and gave her a small nod, "Your secret's safe with me."

"Come on, sweetie, let's get you to bed. I'll stay with you tonight, just in case you need anything."

Maura muttered a thank you and made her way into the bedroom to get ready for bed. She knew she wouldn't sleep tonight, she probably wouldn't sleep at all until Jane was home safe, but she held onto the hope that Angela was right, that Jane would come home and they would get married and everything would be fine.

That wasn't too much to ask for, was it?

**- R & I -**


End file.
